Treasures Collection (#7)

Diamond in pebble
A solitary diamond in conglomerate, from Golconda, India

Cukoo and host eggs
From the collection of ornithologist Edgar Percival Chance (1881 - 1955)

Ursus maritimus, Polar bear
Part of the collection amassed by Walter Rothschild in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. On display at the Natural History Museum at Tring

Aquamarine
This Russian gem is about the size of a peach and weighs 898 carats

Discodermid sponge
Discodermia lives a sessile life on the seabed around North America and the Caribbean

Athene blewitti, forest owlet
Donated to the Museum in 1954 by Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, it was discovered that he had in fact stolen the specimen from the Museum and changed its label

Morganite
This gemstone is 600 carats and one of the worlds largest Morganite specimens

Diamond flower brooch
Victorian diamond-encrusted flower with a sapphire at its centre

Butterscotch wulfenite
A large specimen of the mineral wulfenite from the Glove Mine, Arizona, USA

Shipworm borings
This block of wood was attacked by Teredo navalis, common shipworm about 50 million years ago

Eastmanosteus, Gogo fish
The Gogo fish, Eastmanosteus, was one of the first ever fossils extracted using acid

Jade
A block of jade measuring more than a metre across and weighing over half a tonne

Black opal
131-carat black opal found in the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales, Australia

Emerald
Possibly from the collection of Rt Hon Charles Greville in 1810. Emerald is a variety of beryl (beryllium aluminum silicate). The green colour attributed to small amounts of chromium

Yellow sapphire from Sri Lanka, 101 carats. Acquired by the museum in 1874

Sir John Lubbocks pet wasp
Sir John Lubbock (1834 - 1913) caught this wasp in the Pyrenees and kept it as a pet until its death 10 months later

Fish Dapedium
Well preserved Dapedium fish from the Jurassic period

Imperial Topaz
Found in 1852 in one of the oldest mines in the southeastern Ouro Preto region of Brazil

Woodward Tablecloth

Eocarcinus, the oldest crab fossil ever found
Three centimetres long and only a little longer than a finger nail. Discovered in Gloucestershire in the nineteenth century. This crab lived 180 million years ago

Blue sapphire
Sri Lankan specimen of blue sapphire. A rare example of the uncut material

Copper mass
This copper block was discovered by Samuel Hearne in the Arctic Circle in 1771. He carried it for a year before presenting it to the Hudsons Bay Company

Bubalus bubalis, Indian water buffalo
These are the largest Indian water buffalo horns ever recorded, each almost 2 metres long

Skin from a Ground sloth
This rare sloth skin, one of the best examples of its kind, was found in a cave in Chile in the early 1900 s

Oceanites maorianus, New Zealand strom petrel
This skin is one of only three in the world that can prove the New Zealand storm petrel is a living species

Opal necklace given to the museum in 1958

Spinel specimen
Spinel crystals from Vietnam. The rock has been chipped away to reveal the well-defined crystals

Glove knitted from the beard threads of the pen shell (Pin
Made in the 1700s from the beard threads of the pen shell (Pinna nobilis), a large Mediterranean mollusc

Crepidula, slipper limpets
Slipper limpets collected by Charles Darwin in Chile on the Beagle voyage (1831-1836)

Silver wire
Found in the Kongsberg mines in Norway, this specimen still has its long wires attached to the white calcite in which they grew

First shell book
First ever book to be dedicated soley to shells, written and published by Philippo Buonanni in 1684

Missourium theristrocaulodon, jaw bone
Unearthed in 1840 on the shore of the Pomme de Terre River in Missouri by Albert Koch. The enormous skulls, jaws and bones all belonged to an extinct relative of the elephant

Tray of shells

Diamond spikes

Wasp nest in a bowler hat
This bowler hat containing a wasp nest was found in an outhouse on the estate of Walter Rothschild in Tring. The nest was built by the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Epimachus ellioti, elliots sicklebill
Plate from a first edition of Birds of New Guinea by John Gould (1804 - 1881)

Ring with a weevil set in
About 200 years old, this weevil (Tetrasothynus regalis) has been set in a gold ring

Natural ruby crystal
This ruby is a staggering 1, 085 carats. Mined in Burmas Mogok (Myanmar s) mines and bought by the Museum in 1924 from Burma Ruby Mines Ltd. It is one of the largest crystals in the Museum collection

The Wellington Tree Cupboard
This tree was made from an elm tree that sheltered the Duke of Wellington during the Battle of Waterloo, in Belgium

Star sapphire
Parallel bundles of fibres are formed in the stone as it crystallises. When the sapphire is cut in the correct orientation the silky needles reflect light to form a star effect

Natural ruby in marble
From the mines of Mogok in Burma (Myanmar). Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum with small impurities of chromium that turn it red

Cursed amethyst
When the Mineralogy Department received this amethyst in 1943 they found a note inside the box: this stone is trebly accursed and is stained with the blood

Pressed insects, mounted by botanist Leonard Plukenet (1642
Pressed by Leonard Plukenet in around 1690

Fossil Wood
Fossilised palm from the North African desert that supposedly carries a curse

Neritina waigiensis, snail
A collection of colourful snail shells all from the same species

Le Livre du Tresor+F2294
Page of Brunetto Latinis book Le Livre du Tresor (The Book of the Treasures) depicting Aristotle instructing

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"Unveiling the Secrets: A Journey through Time and Treasures" Sutton Hoo treasure: Unearthed from the depths of history, a hidden trove that whispers tales of ancient kings and their opulent lives. Mycenae - the Lion Gate: Behold the majestic entrance to a forgotten civilization, where treasures lie in wait for those who dare to explore. Childhoods Treasures: Memories wrapped in innocence, cherished toys and trinkets that hold a special place in our hearts forever. Guy (1946-1978), a western lowland gorilla: In his gentle eyes, we find an untamed spirit and an irreplaceable treasure of nature's wonders. Sphere cover - Howard Carter removing treasures, Tutankhamen: Witnessing history unfold as golden artifacts emerge from darkness, revealing the splendor of an ancient pharaoh's tomb. Painting of a ship and a western clock: A masterpiece capturing the allure of distant lands filled with exotic riches and timeless elegance. Removal from Tomb: The delicate process unfolds as archaeologists delicately extract precious relics from their resting place, preserving history one artifact at a time. Dodo skeleton, Raphus cucullatus: An extinct marvel preserved through bones; its skeletal remains remind us to cherish Earth's fragile biodiversity before it vanishes forever. Rosetta Stone: Unlocking mysteries written by civilizations long gone; this stone holds within it linguistic keys to understanding our past. Darwin’s Pigeons – Nature’s Living Canvas : Witness evolution painted across feathers as pigeons showcase endless variations crafted by time itself Magic Mushrooms - Nature's Hidden Gateway : Delving into realms unknown where psychedelic secrets unravel minds' perceptions like never before Three Japanese Gifts for Felicitous Events : Symbolic tokens bestowed upon joyous occasions embodying tradition, honor, and blessings for a prosperous future.